Where would you go live to learn to sail?

[cuthbert]

Originally Posted by Uricanejack

If the English were half as good at everything as they think they are. There football team would have won the World Cup regularly. actual English players would play for premier league teams. Even their cricket team doesn’t win.

And they would have won the America’s cup.

England rules the waves and America waives the rules.

Merry Xmas

[ElVikingo]

Hello there from S/V Gonzo.

This is what we did and it has been great. I took a weeklong class aboard a lovely Juneau Sun Odessey in the San Juan Islands of Washington state. I used the San Juan Sailing School locates in Bellingham, WA. This gave me ASA 101, 103 and 104 (there is no 102 for whatever reason). My instructor was incredible, after all, he was a naval fleet commander prior to being an instructor. This week on a boat helped me be super comfortable with things. They say if you can sail the San Juan Islands you can sail anywhere. Then I went and volunteered to crew at various weekly races in the area. Everyone was always willing to take me out. Super friendly community of people. I also joined a sailboat rental group called Puget Sound Sailing Club. This offered a variety of small sailboats to take out and work on my skills.

These experiences led me to pull the trigger. We got out a bunch and learned what things were important to us. Sailboats are a compromise of comfort and needs depending on your plans. We wanted a comfortable boat (two teenage boys and my wife and I) that could go places. We sold everything and bought a 50 foot sloop. We live aboard in Olympia, WA. We love it! We return to the San Juan islands and Canadian waters every summer. I don’t know of a more beautiful place on earth to sail (I have travelled quite extensively). We plan on sailing around the world in a few years but will return to the Pacific Northwest for sure. Living here is amazing. The waters are wonderful for sailing and the Mountains and inland country are incredible for exploring when you want variety.

I hope this helps and wherever you may land, fair winds and following seas mate!

[Amapola]

Annapolis, Maryland.

[ibsurfun]

East and Gulf states have the widest possible cruising grounds west coast cruising is limited due to geography but has some damn good sailing and surfing.

[Augi]

Originally Posted by sail sfbay

All great suggestions above. I would like to add that sailboat rental is likely expensive unless you can score a deal I got with Seidelmann in the cheasapeake bay in the mid-80's of $50 per day for a Seidelmann 37 in the frost-bite season. OR you take a "fleet membership" for $175+ per month in a sailing school, such as Tradewinds in Richmond California and Club Nautique (see links below) which has a fleet of sailboats in a range of sizes and take sailboat lessons (typically ASA) from them to quality on their boats.

https://www.tradewindssailing.com/sailingclub/rates.shtml
https://boats.network/clubnautique/membership/membership-types/

I am partial to the San Francisco, California because I live there. You can sail all year round in a variety of conditions and you have access to sailing schools and sailboat active yacht clubs such as the Richmond Yacht Club in Point Richmond, CA (link below).

Richmond Yacht Club - Welcome to the Richmond Yacht Club

San Fran is a good suggestion. There are a number of sailing clubs that offer excellent instruction a cut above the "merit badge mills" because sailing in SF Bay safely requires more skills, ability than many places. The downside is that living in the SF area is expensive as would likely renting boat around SF if you went that route instead of just joining a club. An idea is rent a boat that would stay at anchor or in it's berth in the marina and join a nearby sailing club. You might be able to rent a "stationary" boat for not much so you and the family can learn about what living on a boat is like. Then use the club's boats to sail on and take the club's classes to learn. There are also usually lots of opportunities to crew for other club members so getting out on ten water as much as each family member wants to for not much is likely.

Another similar idea is do a deal with SailTime and either rent a house or a boat to live on as described above. SailTime has locations mainly around the USA. What they offer varies from location but it basically is a time share type deal. In Socal for example, you can get the use of a Beneteau 35 for 6 weeks a year reserved in advance and unlimited if booked on a short term basis for about $10K. That $10K includes just about everything. An advantage of SailTime is that yu always will be sailing the same exact boat. You can also upgrade anytime you want if move to a more expensive boat.

However, I think somewhere that has excellent sailing clubs(that offer family memberships), like on SF Bay would be best that also offer classes and a range of boats to sail, many boats almost always available on a short term basis, and lots of opportunity to crew, and sense of community within the club. Then each family member can sail, and learn at their own pace on their own schedule. If it was me I would find a "staionary" boat to rent, hoping to find a deal less expensive than renting a house or apt and to see if the family is up for being full time live-a-boards long term. If it was me I would pick a place with excellent public schools or home school the kids with a help of a tutor. You might be able to find a deal on a stationary boat close to where the club is so the kids could walk to go sailing. Maybe find public schools and sailing Club all within walking distance to the "stationary boat".

[Charlespeck]

Charlotte harbor Florida has Punta Gorda on southeast shore and Port Charlotte on the northwest shore at the top of the harbor where the peace river meets the harbor. It is tear round sailing with flukey winds and multiple currents from tides and rivers. Once you learn here you'll know wind and current sailing as well as reading the bottom as it runs from shallows to 20ft more or less. The bottom is mostly sand with some sand & clay (loam) areas so no real harm done while learning to read the bottom and kedging off as well as anchoring. The southern end of the harbor area has Ft. Myers with several very fine barrier islands to visit in between. Just to the north of us are Venice and Sarasota with their harbors and the intercoastal for more learning about navigation. Most areas are a comfortable day sail away whether you go outside or run the icw.
Their are several very experienced sailors, boat & racing clubs as well as schools in the area so knowledge is very available. There are sailboat races most every weekend year round with opportunities to crew and learn.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by JensenJourney

SNIP

Where it is easy to visit marinas, boat shows, find crew opportunities, meet and befriend other sailors, etc. We'd rent rather than buy.

SNIP

Just like asking advice on buying a boat the first thing you need to provide is your price point. Another consideration is what type of boat, as in multihull or monohull, fast or slow, and such you want to learn to sail.

While several places have already been mentioned there is a large range in what they would cost.

Miami and San Fran have both been mentioned; but they may well be at the high end. A place like the Tampa Bay area will be a lot less expansive. There are also options like buying a decent boat and living in a place like Boot Key Harbor in the Keys. A lot of the boats there are strictly live aboard; they seldom leave the harbor. It is a great place to meet real cruisers, and posers as well, get good advice, hitch rides on other boats, is a fairly quick drive to Miami for the boat show and such.

One of the downsides to Boot Key Harbor is it is in a hurricane zone. One of the suggestions was to learn to sail in the UK during winter in the worst possible weather. San Fran was also mentioned and I am reminded of the Mark Twain quotation 'the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. So another consideration is how long do you think you will be "renting" before you learn to sail and become a live aboard.

Not trying to dodge your question; just saying there are a lot of places to choose from but more information about what you are looking to do would help.

[Jimmyhenry]

I give a big second to Auckland New Zealand.
Huge cruising and racing population.
RYA if that appeals. Brilliant sailing cruising anchoring islands diving.
And the Sth Pacific is your neighbour. We do Tonga in 6 day sail. Fiji 7 days. Vanuatu maybe 8 days. New Caledonia 5 to 6 days.
And our local sailing has so many anchorages. Often you are the only boat.
Welcome to NZ.
Pete.

[Jenneau Owner]

Much or all of the advice given above is good.

However sailing and cruising is a skill and way of life only gained by experiance.

By all means learn the basic skills over a short period of time, but then put them int practice over a long period of time and in varying conditions.

If you decided to take up mountaineering would you tackle Everest or go Hill walking to start with?

Learn some basics and then try to teach your family. You will learn as much teaching them as you learnt from your instructors.

[goeasy123]

The Solent.... as others above say. When I charter a yacht anywhere in the world and they ask me where I qualified and I say the Solent.... they say "no problem. have any boat you want". You can experience more challenging conditions than any other training ground in the world... all packed into a tiny space.

[Tillsbury]

Definitely +1 for learning in the solent. I kept my boat on the Hamble with a sailing school. They ended up buying it from me and it's spent the last twenty years crossing the Atlantic each year doing long-distance training courses. Easily the most comprehensive sailing instruction and enough interest in a new culture without everything being too different.

New Zealand is a possibility but I wouldn't choose Auckland. Overpriced rundown marinas and rain almost every day. Go where the nz sailors go on holiday : bay of islands (top of North Island) or the Marlborough sounds (top of south Island)

[goeasy123]

The other thing you might get on the Solent is some of the best instructors in the world. There are lots of very experience people thereabouts that make a living of and that live the sailing life. I got a SAR helicopter pilot that crewed for pay on racing yachts.

[VaughanUT]

Lanier Sailing Academy, Atlanta, GA, they have two locations, north of Atlanta in Buford, GA and in the Florida Panhandle in Pensacola. I have learned to various levels at both locations. Atlanta 770-945-8810
Pensacola 850-432-3199

water sailing">Blue Water Sailing School Ft Lauderdale, FL 954-762-8464

The Tracey School New Jersey and Florida Captain Tracey Dell 732-546-4103

Harbor sailboats San Diego https://harborsailboats.com/

[kiwinz1]

Another vote in for Auckland New Zealand you can sail all year round

[XANADU.WS.32]

U r already in motion... Where? Doesnt matter. Im partial to seattle. But just go. Anywhere. Screw instructors. Buy SAILING FOR DUMMYS. or if you wish ill teach u for free. Currently im in la paz bcs mx. Sold my westsail32 bought a house... But already got the itch. I know what boat i want. Ive found exactly what i want in Florida, so. Cal. Seattle and texas. Ill decide by january 2nd. Then sail her home. Open invite as crew if you want. Email me. Thx. stephenronning@gmail.com NORWEGIAN. LIFELONG BOAT OWNER. SAILOR. CRAB FISHED PROFESSIONALLY BERING SEA, RUSSIA, NORWAY